Main Purpose of the Role

Working within Perth & Kinross Council is more than a job, it's about being part of an organisation that puts people at the heart of all we do and provides opportunities to make a real difference by enhancing every life we touch.

We currently have the following opportunity:

Assistant Planning Officer / Planning Officer (Level 1)- PKC13963
£28,812 - £46,944
2 High Street, Perth

We have one vacancy and you will be appointed as either an Assistant Planning Officer or a Planning Officer (Level 1) depending upon your qualifications and experience.

Initial placement on the salary scale will reflect this. This post is part of a career grade structure, so if you are appointed as an Assistant Planning Officer, there is an opportunity to progress to a Planning Officer once membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute has been gained.

This is therefore an exciting opportunity for a wide range of candidates including a planner (with or without RTPI membership), planning graduate (preferably RTPI accredited) or someone who has a degree in a related discipline and can demonstrate that they have been progressing a career in planning.

As an Assistant Planning Officer, you will be allocated a Planning Officer as a mentor who will be responsible for guiding and assisting you to do a range of duties and play a part in shaping sustainable, inclusive places that support health and wellbeing, economic recovery, and climate action.

You will work collaboratively across the Place Strategies team and with stakeholders, communities, businesses, and other public sector partners.

You will:

• Assist and contribute to the development of strategic planning documents, spatial strategies, and policy guidance.
• Support the delivery of the Council’s place-based approach to planning and regeneration.
• Engage with communities and stakeholders to ensure inclusive and effective plan-making.
• Undertake research and analysis of planning issues to inform policy and decision-making.

Please note, we are currently unable to offer sponsorship for this post.

Skills & Experience Required

Have a degree in an appropriate subject (e.g. Town Planning, Sustainable Development, Geography, Environmental Science or GIS).

Experience of one or more of the following areas of work - Housing Strategy, Local Development Plans, Roads and Transport Planning, Climate Change and Sustainability or digital spatial mapping and data processing .

Good written, communication and interpersonal skills .

Effective IT skills including a familiarity with Microsoft Office software packages and good knowledge and experience of using Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

Effective problem-solving skills, knowledge and analytical skills .

Effective presentation and report writing skills .

A collaborative mindset and ability to work as part of a team and show initiative to work independently with minimum supervision.

A commitment to innovation, sustainability, and delivering positive outcomes for people and places.

You must have a valid UK driving licence as this post requires you to travel to a variety of locations across Perth and Kinross. You will also have ability to travel to a variety of locations across Perth and Kinross .

Working at Perth & Kinross Council

Our values and behaviours influence our work and support us in the delivery of our key priorities. In your application, and should you be invited to interview, you will be asked to describe situations that support the criteria required in the role and which also demonstrate our values and behaviours. Find out more about Perth & Kinross Council and you could soon be joining our team!

Here's what we can offer you:

• A generous annual leave package
• 6 days public holiday and an additional discretionary day
• Eligibility to join our pension scheme
• Family friendly and positive work/life balance policies such as Flexible Working, Maternity, Paternity & Adoption leave, time off for volunteering and our Wellbeing Framework
• Flexi time
• Access to a range of benefits

We recognise there can be benefits to flexible working and where individual jobs allow, we seek to support this. You are encouraged to discuss potential options with the recruiting manager, if this is of interest to you. A healthy work life balance is important to us and we provide supportive management and, where possible, flexible working arrangements to help you achieve that balance. You will have access to training and support for continued professional development.

For purposes of connection and collaboration with colleagues and with the community we serve, our full-time employees work on site for a minimum of 2 days per week with the arrangements for part time employees being agreed on a basis which will ensure that they benefit to an equivalent degree.

Our FAQs on hybrid working can be found here Hybrid working FAQs

We are committed to being a more inclusive employer - to ensure we can consider any reasonable adjustments, please either contact the recruiting manager to discuss any individual circumstances, discuss at interview or, if you prefer, after any conditional offer is made.

All new employees have a four-month probationary period. Further details are available in the FAQs at “How to apply for a job or apprenticeship with us”.

Next Steps

We would love to hear from you and would encourage you to get in touch with Ciara Gray, Principal Planning Officer on 01738 475736 to find out more.

Click “APPLY NOW”

External candidates are required to provide contact details for 2 referees, including email addresses. One of these must be your current or most recent employer.

We welcome applications from everyone and as a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to interview applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential requirements of the post. Please contact the hiring manager above or the Recruitment Team on (01738) 475555 or recruitment@pkc.gov.uk to discuss any reasonable adjustments. Appointments are based on evidence supplied during the selection process.

Diversity is important to us and although some of our jobs may be perceived to be traditionally gender specific, we welcome applications from everyone and would encourage you to apply if you meet the job requirements. That includes welcoming applications from former armed forces personnel/reservists. Many of the skills picked up during your military career could be transferred directly into a role with local government.

To comply with Baseline Personnel Security Standard, you will be required to complete a Disclosure Scotland check.

If you have lived overseas for a period of 12 months or more (continuous or total) within the last 5 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check.

A confirmed offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of the above mentioned mandatory pre-employment checks (including references) and will also include eligibility to work in the UK, qualifications and fitness to undertake the post.